Grandparents who babysit 'tend to live longer'
Conclusion
This prospective cohort study aimed to assess whether caregiving by grandparents within and beyond the family is associated with a longer life expectancy.
The researchers found that all participants involved in care of grandchildren, providing help to adult children and / or those helping others in their social network had a lower risk of dying during follow-up than non-helpers.
However, the study does have some limitations:
observational studies are not able to prove cause and effect. We can't say from these findings that the provision of care is directly responsible for a longer life
the researchers hav...
Source: NHS News Feed - January 3, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Older people Pregnancy/child Source Type: news
Our news predictions for 2017
Climate change continues to impact on public health
Despite what many commenters have said in 2016, climate change is real and is ongoing. That's the thing about science. Just because you don't believe in it, it doesn't go away.
In 2016 we have seen evidence of the impact of climate change in a number of different ways.
There was an anthrax outbreak in northern Russia as warm weather caused the release of previously frozen deadly anthrax spores.
And many experts think that the spread of the Zika virus across much of the Americas was made possible, in part, by changes in temperature that created environments in which the ...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 30, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: QA articles Special reports Source Type: news
The 10 most popular stories from 2016 - as picked by you
10: Ibuprofen-like painkillers linked to an increased risk of heart failure
"Ibuprofen could raise the risk of heart failure by up to 83%," the Daily Mirror warned in September.
But this was a misleading headline as the "83%" figure was related to an obscure type of painkiller called ketorolac and not ibuprofen, which should be a safe option for any festive headaches.
Find out more...
9: Exercise is 'most effective' method of preventing lower back pain
"Exercise is the best medicine to banish back pain and stop people taking sick days," the Daily Mirror reported at the beginning of th...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 29, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Special reports Source Type: news
Behind the Headlines 2016 Quiz of the Year
In 2016, Behind the Headlines covered more than 300 health stories that made it into the mainstream media. If you've been paying attention you should find this quiz easy and fun.
Answers are at the foot of the page (no peeking!).
In January 2016's health news...
In a controversial study, monkeys were genetically engineered to develop what condition?
Sex addiction
Bipolar disorder
Autism
In a similarly controversial study, what psychological condition was dismissed as a "myth"?
Seasonal affective disorder
Agoraphobia
Social anxiety disorder
In February 2016's health news...
Brain scans w...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 28, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Special reports QA articles Source Type: news
Want to feel happier? Take a break from Facebook
Conclusion
This randomised controlled trial (RCT) aimed to investigate the effect of refraining from Facebook use on wellbeing.
It found people experienced greater levels of satisfaction with their life when not using Facebook for a week, compared with Facebook users.
This is a very interesting study and very relevant due to the large number of people across the world who use Facebook.
However, there are a few points to note:
This study was limited to a one-week period, and the effects of quitting Facebook may be different in the long term. Further research is needed to look into the long-term effects.
The partici...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 23, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Mental health Source Type: news
New drug proves effective for both types of MS
Conclusion
This study shows promising results for a new approach to treating MS. However, the study period is relatively short (96 weeks is about 20 months, so less than two years) and MS is a long-term disease. If this drug is approved for use, longer studies will be needed to be sure that this treatment lives up to its early promise over many years and to monitor for adverse reactions in real life, particularly cancers.
Some people with relapsing remitting MS do well on existing treatments, and have only infrequent relapses of mild symptoms which get worse very slowly.
But for most patients on standard treatment, the dam...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 22, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology Medication Source Type: news
Sugar guidelines unreliable says study funded by sugar industry
Conclusion
This systematic review assessed guidelines from all over the world.
This was an attempt to investigate recommendations on sugar intake and make assessments on their consistency, the quality of guideline development and the quality of the underlying evidence on which the recommendations were based.
The researchers found that the process for developing guidelines on dietary sugar could be improved and recommendations are often based on low-quality evidence. They stated that health officials and the public should be aware of these limitations.
However, caution should be taken when interpreting the findings of this ...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 21, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Source Type: news
Diet rich in processed meat 'may worsen asthma symptoms'
Conclusion
This study adds to concerns that cured meats like bacon, ham and sausage may be harmful to our health.
Curing was long used to preserve meat before the days of refrigeration. It often involves the use of salt, which in itself may be bad for health, and produces compounds called nitrites.
Nitrites are thought to cause inflammation to the airways, which might worsen asthma symptoms.
This study does not in itself prove cured meats worsen asthma symptoms. Previous studies have not shown this, and this study does have some limitations.
For example, it may not have completely accounted for confounding factors, and...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 21, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Heart/lungs Source Type: news
New laser therapy for low-risk prostate cancer shows promise
Conclusion
This large randomised controlled trial indicates that the new treatment vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy for men with low-risk prostate cancer results in a greater chance of being declared cancer-free, and slows the progress of the disease.
The treatment also reduced the number of men who needed to have further surgery or radiotherapy to 6%, compared with 29% in the active surveillance group.
This is a well-designed trial conducted in several countries that followed men for a reasonably long period of time.
It also analysed all men included in the study, regardless of whether they completed treatment or ...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 20, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Older people Source Type: news
Gum disease bug linked to rheumatoid arthritis
Conclusions
This research aimed to investigate a possible bacterial origin of rheumatoid arthritis and found one potential candidate – Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aα). It seems these bacteria could cause the high levels of citrullinated proteins which are known to trigger an immune reaction in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
However, it's important to put these findings into the right context.
Though antibodies against citrullinated proteins, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP), are one of the possible diagnostic findings in people with rheumatoid arthritis – not everyone with rheumatoid arthri...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 19, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Source Type: news
Sugar tax would 'cut childhood obesity'
Conclusion
This modelling study aimed to estimate the possible health effects related to industry responses to the sugar tax proposed for soft drinks.
The research suggests that the largest health benefits might be seen if products were reformulated to contain less sugar. Additional benefits were seen if some of the tax from high- and mid-sugar drinks was passed on to the consumer, and activities to increase the market share of low-sugar products.
It would make sense that these measures would result in positive health effects. However, this is only a modelling study, and while the researchers have attempted to make these...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 16, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Pregnancy/child Source Type: news
MRI scans in pregnancy improve diagnosis of brain defects
Conclusion
Overall, the study provides evidence for a link between having an iuMRI when a brain abnormality has been detected in the foetus and improved diagnostic accuracy. This improvement led to a change in management in a significant minority of cases.
This study provides strong evidence for adding this extra scan in cases when brain abnormalities are detected. Also, most women involved in the study thought this extra scan was a good idea if brain abnormalities were detected in the ultrasound scan.
However, there are some minor limitations to this pragmatic study which are acknowledged by the researchers:
The radiol...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 15, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Neurology Medical practice Source Type: news
Long-term painkiller use 'linked to hearing loss in women'
Conclusion
Many people use medicines like paracetamol or ibuprofen for aches and pains. There's no suggestion from this study that occasional use to manage a headache or muscle strain is harmful.
But the study is a reminder that regular use – defined by the researchers as two days or more a week – could have health consequences over time.
However, this study has some limitations. As a cohort study, it can't prove cause and effect between paracetamol and NSAIDs and hearing loss.
And it mainly included white women, all in the US, so we don't know if the results apply to other groups.
Also, the increased risk was smal...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 15, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Source Type: news
Pok émon no-go: game's exercise effects short-lived in most players
Conclusion
The results of the study are disappointing, but perhaps not surprising. The popularity of video games comes and goes, and as the novelty wears off, people are likely to play and engage less.
However, the game was not designed as a means of increasing physical activity. The fact that it did so, at least in the short term, shows that melding virtual reality and the real world may have the potential to change people's health behaviour.
The study takes advantage of technology not specifically aimed at improving health, but with the potential to do so. Aside from the Pokémon game, the researchers targeted participan...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 14, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news
Brain tests may predict children at risk of becoming 'social burdens'
Conclusion
This study aimed to test the hypothesis that childhood risks may be able to predict poor outcomes in adulthood (such as obesity, criminal convictions, rate of cigarette smoking etc.) that are potentially responsible for the greatest economic burden on society.
Overall it found that the four factors – growing up in more socially deprived conditions, experience of child maltreatment, poor childhood IQ score, and exhibition of low self-control – were associated with poorer outcomes in adulthood.
The research benefits from using a fairly large sample of individuals followed up from birth until midlife. As the ...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 13, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Mental health Pregnancy/child Source Type: news
